Operator News
US – The Cordish Companies opens Live! Casino Pittsburgh with ribbon cutting ceremony
By Phil - 18 November 2020
The Cordish Companies has held a ribbon-cutting ceremony in celebration of the opening of Live! Casino Pittsburgh, marking a major milestone for the company as the first of two Live! branded casinos to open in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Live! Casino Pittsburgh will be the first of two gaming properties that The Cordish Companies will open in Pennsylvania over the next several months as it expands the Live! Casino brand in the Mid-Atlantic region and into Pennsylvania for the first time. The eagerly awaited $150 million Live! Casino, located at the Westmoreland Mall in Hempfield Township, is scheduled to open its doors to the general public at 6:00 a.m. on November 24, 2020. Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia, located in the heart of Philly’s Stadium District, will open in early 2021.
The Cordish Companies’ Principal Jon Cordish, Managing Partner Joe Weinberg and Cordish Gaming Group President Rob Norton were joined at the ribbon cutting ceremony by incoming state Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward and state Representative George Dunbar. Also in attendance were Westmoreland County Commissioners Sean Kertes, Douglas Chew and Gina Cerilli, members of the Hempfield Township Board of Supervisors, and numerous business and community leaders from the region to celebrate an exciting occasion that will cement Live! Casino Pittsburgh as a major economic and community anchor for decades to come.
“Live! Casino Pittsburgh is a world-class destination that will set the gold standard for gaming, dining and entertainment in the region,” said Jon Cordish, Principal of The Cordish Companies. “As a family-owned business for over 100 years, today marks an incredibly special day for my family and for The Cordish Companies as we expand our Live! Casino brand into Pennsylvania for the first time. I’d like to thank Senator Ward, Representative Dunbar, county commissioners and local officials for their unending support of this project.”
As part of The Cordish Companies’ ongoing commitment to the community, Cordish officials presented checks for $15,000 each to the Westmoreland County Food Bank and to Sage’s Army. The donations, intended to provide hunger relief and assist with substance use disorder in the region, were generated from test nights held by the casino in preparation for its opening night.
“The Cordish Companies has long embraced a culture of giving and community service,” said Zed Smith, Chief Operating Officer of The Cordish Companies. “Giving back to the communities where our projects are located and where our team members live and work is of upmost important to us. We will continue to explore ways to serve the Westmoreland County Food Bank, Sage’s Army and other community organisations that make Western Pennsylvania so special.”
Only one year since breaking ground on the project, Live! Casino Pittsburgh will provide the region $188 million in annual economic impact, an additional $148 million in economic impact from construction, and $47.5 million in tax revenues. The facility will provide more than 500 permanent new jobs for local and regional residents.
“To be creating hundreds of new permanent, well-paying jobs at this particular point in time is a real testament to the value this project is bringing to our region. I look forward to how the casino opening will bring renewed life to the Westmoreland Mall which has struggled under the recent Covid-19 restrictions and is a critical part of the commercial economy in Westmoreland County,” said incoming State Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward. “Live! Casino is a first-class property and completely exceeded our expectations. Every step of the way, The Cordish Companies has done exactly what they promised to do. They have been a terrific partner and we are excited to welcome them to Pennsylvania.”
The 100,000-square-foot, two-level property features 750 of the latest, state-of-the-art slots and approximately 30 live-action table games, as well as the industry-leading FanDuel Sportsbook. Located exclusively on the ground level, the casino is strictly for guests 21 and over. The second level is available to guests of all ages and provides a host of entertainment and food options, including live music and non-casino games. Live! Casino also features incredible access and parking, with over 6,000 surrounding surface spaces and more in the Westmoreland Mall parking garage.
“From day one of the conversation about bringing gaming to Pennsylvania, I have advocated for a property like Live! Casino because of the value it brings to the community in terms of jobs and tax revenue,” said State Representative George Dunbar. “At a time when good news and opportunity are hard to come by, The Cordish Companies is making it happen here. We are grateful for their partnership and we look forward to fulfilling all the promise this property brings to the people of Westmoreland County.”
The two-level Sports & Social Steel City is a one-of-a-kind sports restaurant, gaming venue and social lounge offering guests the ultimate sports fan experience. The 445-seat venue is outfitted with state-of-the-art AV technology, including a giant 40-foot LED video screen, and a wide variety of interactive social games, such as bowling, a golf simulator, ping pong, darts and more. Sports & Social Steel City also features an official FanDuel Sportsbook and Lounge on the first floor. The venue serves a classic American Grill menu perfect for watching the game or a night out. This powerhouse concept is anchored at the front door of professional sports stadiums around the country, including Atlanta, GA, St. Louis, MO and Arlington, TX, creating a year-round fan clubhouse atmosphere with live music several nights a week.
To prepare for opening, Live! Casino has developed a comprehensive Play It Safe plan, an enhanced health and sanitation program that allows for ample social distancing, reduced occupancies, and vigorous hygiene and health measures for all guests and Team Members.
Key components of the plan include the installation of the state-of-the-art Atmos Air Bi-Polar Air Purification System within the HVAC system to treat and clean the air in the facility, including any virus particulates. The system is designed to perform 12 air changes per hour throughout the casino floor, which is more than twice the frequency of most commercial buildings.
In addition, the one-of-a-kind Reel Clear slot management system will guarantee every customer who plays a slot machine is sitting down at a freshly sanitized machine and also has the capability to automatically social distance the customer from the nearest guest. The newly-developed system can automatically shut down a slot after it has been played and can only be reactivated by an attendant after it has been sanitized. Also, once a player starts to play a newly sanitized machine, the system will lock down the machines on either side to enforce social distancing in areas not protected by plexiglass barriers. The system will also allow a patron to request their machine to be cleaned at any time.
The plan follows guidelines and recommendations from federal and state public health officials, along with best practices for the gaming and hospitality industries focusing on masking, temperature checks, social distancing, and repeated cleaning of high-traffic areas, slots machines and table game equipment.
“We’ve made it a priority to provide a safe environment for our team members and guests,” said Live! Casino General Manager Sean Sullivan. “Play It Safe employs extraordinary measures that meet and exceed the state’s COVID-19 guidelines. We want our guests to have fun and feel safe.”
